Elliot Coues Nature Trail

The vista of ocean and sky is never the same.  It changes from day to day, hour to hour, sometimes even minute to minute.  When I went out the walkway this morning, it looked as if a veil was being pulled away, west to east, and mottled blue sky was slowly appearing overhead.  By the time I went out to drink my cup of coffee less than a half-hour later, it had completely changed.  To the east, straight to the south, and to the west:  three totally different skies.

It was a nice mild day and we decided to hike the Elliot Coues Nature Trail, which starts and ends at Fort Macon.  It makes a good 3.3-mile loop, half on the sound side and half on the ocean side of Fort Macon Road.

We saw a lot of damage on the sound side - twisted, broken, uprooted trees.  And these trees are "salt-pruned" anyway, bending away from the wind, surviving for decades in this inhospitable climate.  But Hurricane Florence had been too much to withstand.

This part of the trail is nice and shady on a hot, sunny day - live oak trees extending long branches out, red cedar overhead.

At the entrance to the so-called Bath House, the path crosses the road and meanders through more of this maritime forest, and then climbs up and winds around the sand dunes along the channel and the ocean.  Beautiful!  It is what I picture the Scottish moors might look like.

We give thanks for days like these:  comfortable walking, fresh salt air made more fragrant from time to time by Christmas trees along the path, friendly walkers and runners passing us on the trail.  And soon the sun will be setting in its usual blaze of golden light.

"It's all a common glory."

- Emily Dickinson